New York — A New York City police officer was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter Friday in his death Tossing a picnic cooler filled with drinks on the fleeing suspect, causing him to crash his motorcycle, killing the man.
Judge Jay Mitchell issued the guilty verdict Friday in Bronx Criminal Court in the case against Sgt. Eric Duran on the death of Eric Dupree in 2023.
“The fact that the defendant was a police officer makes no difference,” the judge said before reading his ruling in a short session. “He was treated like any other defendant.”
Duran did not appear to react when the decision was issued, but Dupree’s family members cried. He faces up to 15 years in prison and will be sentenced on March 19.
He is 38 years old The first New York Police Department officer in years To stand trial for murdering someone while on duty, he also faced an assault charge. But Mitchell earlier denied the accusation, saying prosecutors failed to show he intended to harm Dupree.
Duran pleaded not guilty and chose a bench trial, meaning the judge, not the jury, would render the verdict.
Authorities say on Aug. 23, 2023, Dupree sold drugs to an undercover officer in the Bronx and then fled.
Duran, who was part of the narcotics unit conducting the operation, is He was seen in security footage Grabbing a nearby red cooler and quickly throwing it at Dupree in an attempt to stop him.
The container, filled with ice, water and soft drinks, struck Dupree, who lost control of the scooter, struck a tree and hit a curb before landing under a parked car.
The 30-year-old, who was not wearing a helmet, was injured, prosecutors said Fatal head injuries He died almost instantly.
rotation, He testifies in his own defense He said this week he only had seconds to react and was trying to protect other officers from Dupree as he sped toward them. He told the court he immediately tried to help after seeing the extent of Dupree’s injuries.
“He was going to crash into us,” Duran said in court. “I didn’t have time. All I had time to do was try to stop again or try to get him to change direction. That’s all I had time to think about.”
But prosecutors maintained that Dupree did not pose a threat and that his death was not accidental but the result of Duran’s reckless, negligent and intentional actions.
They pointed out that the officer had enough time to warn others not to move, but instead he threw the cooler in a state of anger and frustration.
Dupree was a Bronx resident and father of three who worked as a delivery driver. He came to New York from Puerto Rico as a teenager.
State Attorney General Letitia James’ office, which investigates civilian deaths during encounters with law enforcement, prosecuted the case.
Duran is currently on probation pending the outcome of the trial, according to the police department.
___
Follow Philippe Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo